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ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTS
"OUR ENVIRONMENT IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO ALL OF US"
TEEN ANGLER KALIB GUETTLER RESCUES GREEN TURTLE The November meeting of the Treasure Coast Teen Anglers chapter started off with a twist, two Teen Anglers showed up at Saturday’s meeting with about a 6lb green turtle in the back of their pick-up truck. Our guest speaker for the month was Dr. Bill Hood, who, in his presentation to the teens covered everything from sunburn to hook removal, while just outside the door we were contacting FWC, and the turtle rescue folks to get help for our green turtle. It all started when Kalib Guettler, 16, from Westwood High in Fort Pierce stopped by the Dockside Inn and Resort, on South Hutchinson Island to do a little fishing before the meeting. That’s when he spotted the turtle, it had fishing line wrapped around it’s flipper, And had a growth on the side of its head. Kalib removed as much of the fishing line as he could, put it in the back of his truck and brought it over to us at the meeting. The growth as explained by the FWC folks is similar to the Herpes virus and is found in about 50 % of the Green Turtle population. The FWC was very interested in checking out our friend to help with their study of the virus. We kept the turtle moist with wet towels and after the meeting Kalib took him down to the turtle rescue folks from the FWC, who transported the turtle to the West Coast for treatment. We’ll keep you posted on his progress. *****Please make sure you dispose of ALL YOUR LINE AND TRASH IN THE RIGHT PLACES PLACES. iT IS UP TO US TO TAKE CARE OF OUR ENVIRONMENT"
TEEN ANGLERS PROPER BALANCE By Capt Al Bernetti The Teen Angler program celebrated our 8th anniversary this month. For 8 years we have been focusing on the "Education" Component of our motto, " Recreation and Education for the Next Generation", By bringing in experts in their fields from some very well known organizations. Take for example our February schedule. While Teen Anglers in New York will be having their 2nd annual Ice Fishing event at Guffin’s Bay on Lake Ontario. Teen Anglers in Florida will be getting a presentation from the folks at the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute. The great work they’re doing at the site in Fort Pierce Florida, has gotten the attention of politicians as well as Universities, and the public at large. As Florida suffers from the ravages of point and non-point source pollution degrading our resources, Harbor Branch has been a leader in documenting those effects on our environment. Earlier this year the Biologists from the Smithsonian Marine Station in Fort Pierce were the guest speakers at our meeting and gave a very informative presentation on the Indian River Lagoon and the effects that growth and development play on the health of the estuary.Scientists, Biologists, and the public are agreeing that the policies of the 1980’s and 1990’s are no longer adequate for the 21st century growth that has been projected for Florida, and it’s water resources. Our January meeting hosted Kevin Stinnette, the Indian River Keeper. Kevin is part of the National organization founded by Joseph Kennedy to provide Educated persons whose job it is to monitor government as well as America’s Rivers and watersheds so that action can be taken in a pro-active, rather than a reactive, approach. It is the objective of our organization to recognize and help solve the problems that we As teen anglers observe in our environment. And through our education sessions and scholarship program, we are getting educated anglers into the workforce to make a positive difference for the good of America and our waterways.
OSCEOLA CHOOSES TO POLLUTE PART 4
Osceola Chooses to Pollute Part 1 Osceola Chooses to Pollute Part 2 Osceola Chooses to Pollute Part 4 Draining Mentality North of Us
Osceola Chooses to Pollute Part 4 "Teen Anglers Step Up!" As one Teen Angler wrote to Bill Lane County Commissioner, " Just know that there are citizens out there doing YOUR JOB for you and they aren’t being paid for it, don’t worry people who care will take care of it for you"! The Teen Anglers have until October 2007 to re-engineer an Osceola County Road that Osceola’s engineering staff wanted to continue the dumping of storm water run-off into the Kissimmee Chain of lakes and eventually into the Indian River Lagoon. " The natural flow is directly into the bay that’s what we want," said the engineering dept. We are producing a video documentary to show the Teen Angler generation how we must accept the challenge if we want to change the mind set that got us so much pollution. "Every gallon that we clean up is another gallon of storm water runoff that won’t adversely impact everyone downstream". I really believe that the mindset of Osceola County is just "Flush the Toilet"! Let the folk’s downstream deal with it! We have been overwhelmed with support from our Teen Anglers, their parents and our supporters to show the county of Osceola Florida that this mindset may have been acceptable to the last generation but not to the Teen Angler generation. But we need all the support we can get! Send your donations, no matter how small! $5.00, $10.00, or more if you can, to help us change this runoff from polluting our resource! Send your checks to: National Teen Anglers 1177 BayShore Dr. # 207 Ft. Pierce, Fl. 34949 www.teenanglers.org Remember we are a 501 (C) 3 Not-For-Profit, and your contribution is tax deductible to the full extent that the law allows.
Osceola Chooses to Pollute! Part 3 Osceola County Florida Officials Refuse to Meet with this 82 year old Great-Grandmother! WHY?
BECAUSE SHE’S TRYING TO SAVE THE RESOURCE! The taxpayers of Osceola County are paying a staff of Engineers to sit on their duff and Pollute the Kissimmee Chain and all the waters connected to it! Why? The good OLE’ boy network is alive and well and living in Osceola County!
Bill Lane County Commissioner blan@osceola.org DO YOUR JOB
Osceola Chooses to Pollute Part 1 Part 1 of 6 March 2007 Osceola County Florida The home of Lake Toho, Lake Kissimmee, as well as other legendary Bass lakes, Has been struggling to compete with other legendary lakes in other states, Lake Fork, Texas, Clear Lake, California etc., etc. So one would think water quality would be a very important issue, at least that’s what you would get as the politically correct response from the public relations department. But recently we were shocked to be told that when the Osceola County Engineering Dept.’s staff was asked what they wanted a property owner to do? The Osceola County Staff choose to pollute! The owner offered; (At his expense), to permit for a change in runoff and point source pollution from directly going into the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes, or restore the road to 1955 standards with no swales or consideration for storm water runoff, as the county staff had suggested. The county staff elected to put the runoff directly into the water body. Keith Jackson, Osceola County Engineering Dept, said " The natural flow is directly to the bay, that’s what we want". Actually the development was platted in about 1955, so we question whether that could be considered "Natural", but we’ll use his words. We received comment from Osceola’s Lakes Management Specialist, "their expert", Kimberly Lawrence, her response, "If that’s’ what engineering wants then that’s the way it will be". No, let me look into it, or maybe there’s a better way? "Alex I’ll take Pollution for $ 1000.00 dollars"! Just pollute away! A 40 ft right-of-way, (public road), was at first not a county road, that was in 2005, now, the county claims it is under their jurisdiction, but they won’t maintain it, that remains the responsibility of the homeowners. And although the homeowners wanted to replace an unstable material with a more stable material, and redirect the water flow, at their expense, the county threatened a daily fine if the homeowners don’t start polluting by the end of the month! But to be clear the homeowners are not given the option to correct the storm water runoff. If you’re a Teen Angler this goes against everything we stand for! Tell them so! Email: Bill Lane Osceola County Commissioner District 5 at blan@osceola.org Or Miro Poss Assistant County Engineer at mpos@osceola.org Tell them: Give a Hoot- Don’t Pollute ! In part 2 we’ll discuss why they are doing it! Post your comments about this article also on the Teen Anglers forum
Osceola Chooses to Pollute Part 2 Why does Osceola Choose to Pollute?
Remember send an email! Do It Now! Bill Lane County Commissioner blan@osceola.org Tell him, Give a Hoot! Don’t Pollute! Lets look at this issue from the Teen Angler perspective, as you recall in education session #1 Orientation we discussed the "Teen Angler way", Which is educating ourselves to be better able to protect our resource and by doing so, We are making our sport of fishing better able to handle the pressure we tend to put on it! So why would Osceola County engineering choose to pollute the resource? Lack of education… maybe? Lack of commitment? I like that one even more! Let’s look into that one. Who would have the desire to "do the right thing", you remember that phrase from your Teen Angler education session as well, right? Would the Osceola Lakes Management Specialist, Kimberly Lawrence want to "Do the right thing", the Teen Anglers would at first think, well of course! But we’d be wrong…right, at least that’s what she said, remember, " If that’s what engineering wants…that’s the way it will be"! How about the engineering departments Keith Jackson, Would he have the desire to "Do the right thing", he lives in the area around the Kissimmee Chain, and he doesn’t care either, and remember what he said! " The Natural Flow is directly into the Bay"! If he did wouldn’t he have done something to correct it. That’s what a Teen Angler would do! That’s what we ARE doing! Do the actions and comments from either of those folks show commitment? You be the judge of that one. So.. Let’s look at who these folks answer to. If you still believe in the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus, your answer would be, the citizens of Osceola County! Right? Grow Up! The people, the voters of Osceola County elected, have the ability to change the mind set, they don’t want to, that’s the bottom line! Period, end of story! Bill Lane, Ken Smith and the others are, in our opinion, violating the federal clean water act, the Everglades restoration plan, as well as stonewalling; hoping this issue goes away! The commissioner’s definition of Growth Management is managing the growth of their Campaign accounts as the developer’s contributions roll in. All of us in Florida and the outdoors nation are watching you, Osceola, will you, "Do the Right Thing" In part three we’ll address these questions: Why would an Osceola County SchoolTeacher want to stop the raising of Scholarship funds for the "Teen Anglers"? Why would Osceola County want to stop the raising of scholarship funds for the "Teen Anglers"? Would Osceola County’s Engineering Department pollute the resource just to do a favor for a friend?
Draining Mentality North of UsBy ekiller
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